1984 Paper Topic (Due 4/20)

Topic: Analyze Winston. I know: this is BROAD. OPEN-ENDED. To get an A, you need to teach me something. You need to argue something about this character that makes me think about him beyond what I know simply from reading. You need to stay focused, take a stand, and show how your interpretation of Winston is supported by the text. Terrible sample thesis: Winston wants to rebel against the Party (duh). Good sample thesis: Winston is smart but not keen. Awesome sample thesis: Winston thinks he is secretely deceiving the Party but in actuality he is deceiving only himself. Here are the tips I sent you via email on Friday: 1. You must have a clear thesis stated early in the paper. Please write this sentence clearly and concisely. Be intentional with your diction. 2. You must include argumentative topic sentences in every body paragraph. These TS should support the overall thesis. 3. You must include direct and specific quotations from the text to support your points. 4. You must closely analyze the wording and syntax of those quotations. Summary has no place in analysis. 5. Quotes must support a point. If they are included to provide context or summary, you have gotten distracted and need to refocus on your TS. 6. Eliminate unnecessary words. 7. Make sure (and triple check) that you aren't making any of the technical errors we reviewed weeks ago. And my notes from Saturday: 1. These are analytical papers. Do not summarize the text. 2. You must closely analyze the text in these papers. This requires the inclusion of multiple textual quotations in your papers. 3. Your ultimate goal in these papers is to teach the educated reader something. You need to argue a point and prove it with close analysis of the text. 4. Your paper must include a title, introductory paragraph, and conclusion. 5. From now on, papers must be one page, single-spaced. Double-spaced papers are simply underdeveloped and terse. Pack as much argument and support into that one page as you can. These should be tightly written. If I were you, I would write two pages single-space and then condense it down into one page. I expect a LOT of content. You are so close to the end, Team. Finish well.

1984 Today?

Story 1 Story 2 Story 3 Story 4 Story 5

Books. Glorious.

For one that I am excited about discovering with you, click here.

Katie mentioned texts about WWI or WWII. Here's a new one that has received a lot of critical acclaim.

Texts That You Wanted To Read:

The Age of Innocence (8)

Shadow of the Wind (6)

The Glass Castle (6)

Brave New World (4)

On the Road (3)

1984 (3)

Animal Farm (2)

The Grapes of Wrath (2)

The Hunt for Red October (2)

The Shack (2)

One Flew Over Cuckoo's Nest

Fahrenheit 451

The Kite Runner

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

The Hobbit

Narnia

The Divine Comedy

The Lovely Bones

One Flew Over Cuckoo's Nest

Slaughterhouse 5

Catch-22

Nine Stories

A Clockwork Orange

The King's Speech

Siddhartha

Wuthering Heights

Little Women

Of Mice and Men

Moby Dick

Recommended Texts/Authors:

The Scarlet Letter

Oscar Wilde

Mark Twain

Flannery O'Connor

J. D. Salinger/Franny and Zooey

Edgar Allen Poe

F. Scott Fitzgerald

Ken Kesey

Percy Jackson series

Jane Austen

The Lovely Bones

Elsewhere

Looking for Alaska

Siddhartha (2)

Go Ask Alice

George Orwell

Stephen Chbosky

John Green

Briar Rose

Robin McKinley

The Catcher in the Rye

To Kill a Mockingbird

Tamora Pierce / Beha Cooper: Terrier

Jane Austen

Lord of the Flies

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

Angela's Ashes

The Shack

HT: The END

1. Who turned her in?
2. Fill in the blank: The conclusion is ________________.
3. What is the worst part of Gilead?
4. When did you know Offred was done for?
5. Fill in the blank: Offred is ____________________.
6. What is the most powerful line in this novel?

Hehe...you can do it!

The Handmaid's Tale: Ch. 31-35

As I mentioned in class, your challenge tonight is to predict Offred's fate. Is her increasing bravado going to be her saving grace--or her downfall? Will she make it out of this regime alive? Will she thrive? What is going to happen to Offred??

The key here is to ground your prediction in textual evidence. Last night's reading provides lots of little clues--for both sides. Focus in on some key passages/words that you feel like are deliberately preparing us for the end of this novel.

NYTimes Editorial: The War on Women

This is a political editorial for sure, but it is also the most popular article on NYTimes.com right now...thought it was appropriate for what we have been reading and discussing lately...

The Handmaid's Tale Analysis

Okay, team, the key to this post is saying something ARGUABLE and supporting your argument with evidence from the text (because that is what analysis is, after all: a supported argument).

Try to teach us something. Get specific with your argument and support. Help us see this novel in a new way.

You have several options. Choose one of the following:
1. In her book review, Mary McCarthy asserts that "characterization in general is weak in The Handmaid's Tale. Do you agree or disagree? Follow up your general answer with a specific characterization of a character of your choice in the novel. Help us see that character more closely and analytically.
2. We talked today in class about whether this novel is an effective dystopian text. What is your specific opinion on this and why? If you answer this one, you must go beyond the chart we generated in class.
3. There are many themes explored in this novel. Choose a theme and argue what this novel says about it. If you choose this one, don't even think about reading Sparknotes for ideas; I want YOUR critical thinking and insight.
4. What is the purpose/power of the way this novel is written? You can analyze Atwood's writing style or the novel's organization or its point of view...lots of options here.

Make sure to read everyone else's posts before coming to class tomorrow. Please also come with a hard copy of both this post and your previous post (background research on global attitudes towards women). Thanks.